On December 30 last, Ghanasyam Nayak, the founder bio-technologist and bio-architect of the Nandankanan Zoo passed away. During 1961-62, the writer was serving in Athagarh forest division and was given special duty for establishment of the park.
Not only the writer but also several field staff members of Athagarh and Puri forest divisions were working for construction of Nandankanan, spending their camp lives in the tents pitched on the bank of Kanjea lake.
In the beginning, the Nandankanan was under the Puri forest division. late Padarbinda Mohapatra was the then DFO of Puri forest division and late Sibaram Mohapatra was the then DFO of Athagarh forest division. These two divisional forest officers were solely responsible for construction of the Nandankanan park. The forest guard trainees of Angul were cleaning the area including uprooting of trees and bushes for construction of necessary infrastructural buildings to give new lives to a management project of global attraction. The then chief conservator was late Dayanidhi Chaudhury and the then conservator was late Bhagaban Charan Kanungo. All the forest divisions of Odisha were engaged in collection of different animal and bird species of their regions and to send to Nandankanan for captive rearing and biological studies.
late Ganasyam Nayak was not a big shot of the then forest administration, but a big personality and was a best planner and designer and also best photographer of nature. He was a renowned naturalist and nature lover. He was a good executive of the then period also. His assignments always yielded remarkable results. Dr Chitaranjan Mohapatra who is still alive and retired as principal chief conservators of forests was in supervision tasks of the biological projects. The team was so excellent that the goal was how to make the project successful with united efforts irrespective of rank and position. Nayak was staying there permanently and laying out the project with respect to the plan approved by the Government of Odisha. Then the present capital of Bhubaneswar was under construction. The capital was also a part of Chandaka forests, which was subsequently de-reserved.
Nandankanan was best piece of the forest of Chandaka block comprising of an area of 14.16 sqkm. With future hope of extending the biological park further, it was an ‘A’ class reserve forest block. The forest composition was northern – tropical forest. The bio-diversity of the ecological system was diverse.
In our camp life when the bonfire was lit to provide warmth to bodies in winter nights in the bank of Kanjia lake, different types of land animals used to come close for sharing heat. The biological rhythms can only be felt by those who experienced a camp life inside the forest.
The adjoining forest, which was acting a buffer zone of Nandankanan, no longer exists now. The status of the forest block has been changed and vast of areas are now under the position of private persons. Administrative weakness and non conservation practices have led to huge destruction of the forest and its vast ecological system.
The motto of the forest biologists was to rear the indigenous animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in the zoological garden cum park and to have a detailed research and study on every individual species. This was done for academic purpose and research.
There were clear-cut guidelines and management policy for practical management of animal wealth of Nandankanan. It was prepared of course in a rudimentary stage. However, presently either there is no management policy or effective guidelines for management of the park which has completed 54 years, so much so that Nandankanan has been reduced to a zoo, rather than a biological park.
Ghanasyam Nayak was given the charge of raising sea shore plantations also especially over sand cast regions, which was creating perpetual havoc for sand erosions and grab of cultivable lands and human habitat during those period. It was quite a challenging task. Nayak’s pioneering measure to overcome the threat of sand casting on human habitat of coastal biosphere paid rich dividends. The casuarinas were brought to Puri – Konark coast during the British regime and also during 1916 and tried irregularly. Earlier it had experimentally grown in Konark coast during 1905.
Nayak was given the task who could successfully carry it out. The commercial achievement can not be expected without ecological achievement which was proved by Nayak. The wind- wave always plays a greater role for raising casuarinas plantations in sea coast. Not only casuarinas, but also other coastal species face similar problems to survive and grow.
The wind waves from the sea always cast sand over the planted seedlings. There are practical devices, which are to be followed to get rid of the problem. Nayak was quite successful in his untiring effort to save the coastal mangroves. The writer was associated with him in the job as well.
The current planning of the Forest department lacks far sight and fails to take off projects when it comes to field execution. There is also lack of sincerity and devotion among the officials. The continuous tree planting efforts for stabilisation and control of sand erosion within the sea coast regions is a glowing example.
In Odisha, we have vast sand-cast land area, which have productive economic values. If intensive cultivation with application of modern technology is done the result could be stupendous. The coastal ecosystem is thoroughly neglected as a result of which we are getting more and more vulnerable to the natural calamities in several forms. So the biodiversities of the land should be scientifically managed for the present and future generations.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)